Frontonia leucas (Ehrenberg, 1833) Brodsky, 1908

Kizildag, Sibel & Yildiz, Ismail, 2019, Morphology and molecular phylogeny of four Frontonia species from Turkey (Protista, Ciliophora), Zootaxa 4609 (3), pp. 548-564 : 551-553

Frontonia leucas (Ehrenberg, 1833) Brodsky, 1908

Bursaria leucas Ehrenberg, 1833

Bursaria (Frontonia) leucas Ehrenberg, 1838

Frontonia leucas (Ehrenberg, 1833) Brodsky, 1908

Description of the Turkish populations: Size huge and varied in vivo, about 335–510 × 175–310 µm, but mostly about 400 × 220 µm, cells dorso-venrally slightly flattened, and an elliptical outline with slightly narrowed posterior end when viewed dorsally or ventrally ( Figs. 1a, b, d, e ; 2 a–c). Macronucleus is ellipsoidal with variable position

in the cell, which is located in the anterior or mid-body. Single contractile vacuole located mid-body with very conspicuous, long, and branched 10–12 collecting canals; 1 excretory pore located right of the dorso-lateral ( Figs. 1a ; 2a, b , d–i). Extrusomes spindle-shaped, about 9–10 µm long, attached perpendicularly to cell pellicle ( Figs. 1a, 1g ). Cytoplasm colorless or slightly grey; containing food vacuoles filled with filamentous algae, diatoms, and other small organisms that rendered the cytoplasm green, yellow, and brown. Somatic cilia about 8–9 µm long and forming 120–200 longitudinal somatic kineties and 6–8 postoral kineties ( Figs. 1a, 1g ; 2 a–c, 2e). Oral apparatus triangular in shape, about 1/8–1/9 of body length, positioned at the anterior 1/3 of cell ( Table 1 ; Figs. 1a, b, d, f ; 2h, 2k ). Three vestibular kineties to the right of the buccal cavity, 3 peniculi on the left wall of the cavity, each composed of 4–5 kinetosome rows. Single-rowed paroral membrane surrounding the right side of the buccal cavity ( Figs. 1d, f ; 2h, k ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. F. leucas from life (a–c, g) and after silver staining (d–f). Ventral-lateral view (a–c). Infraciliatures of the ventral (d), dorsal (e) and buccal (f) areas. Part of pellicle, to show extrusomes (g). Abbreviations:AL: argentophilic line; C: Cilia; CC: collecting canal; CV: contractile vacuole; D: diatom; E: extrusome; EP: excretory pore; FA: filamentous algae; FV: food vacuole; Ma: macronucleus; Mi: micronucleus; OA: oral apparatus; P1-P3: peniculi 1, 2, and 3; PK: postoral kineties (arrowheads in f); PM: paroral membrane; PoS: postoral suture; PrS: preoral suture; VK1-3: vestibular kineties 1, 2, and 3. Scale bar = 150 µm.

FIGURE 2. F. leucas from life (a–g) and after silver staining (h–k). Cytoplasm and contractile vacuole views in typical F. leucas (a–g). Ventral (h) and dorsal (i) views of the infraciliature and nuclear apparatus.Argyrome (j). Detailed structures of buccal region (k). Abbreviations: CC: collecting canal; CV: contractile vacuole; D: diatom; EP: excretory pore; FA: filamentous algae; FV: food vacuole; Ma: macronucleus; OA: oral apparatus; P1-P3: peniculi 1, 2, and 3; PM: paroral membrane; PoS: postoral suture; PrS: preoral suture; VK1-3: vestibular kineties 1, 2, and 3. Scale bar = 120 µm.